I was awarded a doctoral scholarship in 2019 and subsequent postdoctoral fellowships by the Economic and Social Research Council. This enabled me to pursue a doctoral study that culminated in the creation of a planetary health framework for school food in England, which promotes healthy and sustainable menus, reduced food waste, and holistic food education.
Growing up as a woman of colour and the daughter of a disabled mother, I developed a strong commitment to health equality, particularly for disadvantaged groups, including young children and women experiencing menopause. Driven by this passion, I have volunteered as a consultant and advisor for The Nest community enterprise in Exeter for four years, supporting women's health across the four Ms: menarche, menstruation, motherhood, and menopause.
I am passionate about the opportunity to contribute to this important field, advancing knowledge and raising public awareness about the critical need for adequate support for women navigating menopause.
Menopause is still considered a taboo subject in many workplaces, yet it is estimated that by 2030 there will be 1.2 billion menopausal and post-menopausal women globally.
The General Medical Council register summary shows that 50.04% of registrants are female, and of those 38% are aged between 41-60. We know menopause is likely to occur between the ages of 45-54.
The implications for the healthcare workforce are clear. It is essential that we do all we can to ensure the menopause support provided is appropriate and effective. Getting this right will alleviate additional stress for female healthcare workers, enable them to continue to perform at their best for patients and remain in the workforce for longer.
The research project, led by Dr Jessica Scott, Devon Partnership NHS Trust and University of Exeter, will provide a better understanding of the existing menopause support interventions in the NHS.
These interventions include, for example, NHS England guidelines, policies, menopause clinics, flexible working, cooler uniforms and training for staff.
There is limited evidence of the effectiveness of these measures, and developing a greater understanding of what works, why and for whom, can help women to get the support they need. This improved support is likely to benefit the women themselves, as well as the organisation as it will not be losing its experienced staff.
The MPS Foundation was established by MPS in 2022 to fund research in medicine and dentistry aimed at improving patient safety and clinician wellbeing – it has funded round 50 research projects around the world. The Impact of Menopause research project fits the MPS Foundation’s brief perfectly, and I know the Jess, Karen and the team were delighted that the MPS Foundation agreed to fund the appointment of a Research Fellow to drive the research forward.
The research group will be supported by a project advisory group which includes senior leaders in the menopause field, healthcare professionals with experience of the menopause and those designing and providing support interventions – I am truly excited to be working with so many passionate and talented people.
My role started on 1 April. I am beginning by identifying interventions for NHS staff that aim to minimise the impact of menopause on the healthcare workforce, including those not yet published in the peer-reviewed literature. Once identified, the interventions will then be mapped to existing typologies and frameworks to determine their targets and mechanisms of action.
I will then, as part of the research team, undertake a realist evaluation with the aim to work with and learn from three purposively selected NHS Trusts to analyze the interventions being offered to support healthcare professionals experiencing menopause.
Alongside the two projects above, I will undertake desk-based research to understand good practice internationally.
